The U.S. military is already downsizing our footprint in Iraq. Five thousand heroes are coming home:
Col. David W. Sutherland of the Third Brigade Combat Team, First Cavalry Division, whose soldiers have been working in Diyala since last November, said all 5,000 of his troops would be gone by mid-December.
However, because of continuing violence in Diyala, another brigade that is already in the country will take the place of the Third Brigade Combat Team.
The replacement soldiers are already in Diyala and are taking over their new jobs, Colonel Sutherland said. The replacement brigade, which had worked in Salahuddin Province, which is to the north and west of Diyala, will leave quieter areas of that province to the Iraqi Army and concerned local citizen groups, said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, spokesman for the multinational division forces in Baghdad.
“There is a 5,000-troop net decrease in theater,†Admiral Smith said. “The redeployment without replacement reflects the overall improved security situation in Iraq.â€
But he cautioned against painting too optimistic a picture. “We do not assess we are in a trend of peace; we are in a trend of decreasing violence,†he said.
When this initial drawdown is completed, the number of troops will drop to about 157,000 from 162,000 in June, when the American troop level was at its peak.
Gen. Petraeus says that five brigades will be home by July 2008. It is good to come home winners, rather than with out tails between our legs.
